His Crimson Eyes
by Hazel Roses
Summary: Convinced to go on a hunt for a mythical dragon, Sakura finds herself face to face with the creature. To save her life, she offers to free him and now has to stay to do so. When she sees his human form, she's shocked at how handsome he is. There is something strangely familiar about him and as she learns how to use her chakra, someone else is also trying to find the dragon.
1. I

_There were always rumors. Strange ones, ones that made women snicker amongst themselves. Rumors that raised a few eyebrows or were only whispered about on the corners of the streets. There was one, however, that was beyond any possible imagination, more fantastic than the others combined…_

"You mean to tell me there is a _dragon_ locked in the Forbidden Valley?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying forehead!"

"...you're an idiot."

Two women leaned back in their chairs; warm green tea perched at their lips. The blonde one took a quick sip before placing her mug down hastily, nearly tipping it over in the process. Thin lips pursed into a frown at her pink haired friend.

"Whatever Billboard brow; you don't know anything. I _know_ someone who's seen it."

The other female rolled her emerald orbs. "Let me guess: Uzumaki told you huh Ino?"

Her cheeks tinted slightly and she began to toy with the napkin in her lap. "Why does it matter who told me? No one would lie about something like that Sakura!"

Said girl sighed and rubbed her temples. How in the world would a dragon be in the Forbidden Valley? It was only off limits because of the dangerous cliffs and wild animals that roamed the area. Anyone who entered it never returned, hence why it became impermissible.

Still, the story about a dragon was not a new one. Supposedly, over a thousand years ago, there was a man whose sole purpose was to protect his loved ones. Some parts of the story were lost throughout history, but it was believed this man found out that his family members were the dangerous ones. With a solemn face, he murdered his entire clan. Angry about what had happened, the god of Pain transformed him into a dragon; the one creature that could breathe fire as hot as the flames the man engulfed his family in. He remains chained inside the cave that he poured the blackened ashes in, haunted by the smell of singed flesh and the screams of agony that rang in his ears.

That was all rubbish. How could there be a dragon in an era like 2000? That in itself sounded awkward and mythical creatures didn't exist anyway. Sakura opened her mouth to say so, but was cut off by her best friend before she had a chance to utter a syllable.

"If there isn't a dragon, why don't you go to Forbidden Valley and look?" Ino gave Sakura a sly smile after picking up one of the slim straws and whirling it in her drink.

Pink brows furrowed. "Why the hell would I go out there?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. "To prove that there isn't a dragon out there, duh."

Sakura was starting to get annoyed with how persistent her friend was being. She honestly didn't care to know if there was or wasn't a dragon in the Forbidden Valley. It was _forbidden_; therefore, the twenty year old didn't see a reason for her to go down there. She said this to her friend who in turn kept the smirk on her face. A feeling of dread began to build in the pit of Sakura's stomach from the look she was receiving.

"What's your problem?" she snapped, taking the last bite of her apple cinnamon muffin.

Ino's bright irises sparkled mischievously. "Oh nothing. I was just thinking about telling Sasuke what a chicken you are and he'll probably forget all about you. I'll be in with him and guess whose bed he'll..."

"Yeah right, pig!"

A few heads in the teashop turned to look at the woman who had suddenly stood and shouted. She inched back into her chair, cheeks flamed bright red and a strong urge to wrap her hands around Ino's slim neck.

"Well you know," Ino began, smirk growing wider. "Sasuke was the one who brought up the subject of the dragon. He seemed to want to know if it's there as well."

Sakura growled quietly at her sudden interest in seeing if this mythical creature was real. If Sasuke wanted to know if the dragon existed, maybe she could find out and surprise him with that information. That would be the perfect way to finally say something to him...after three months of liking him. Even though they sat in the same Physiology class since they started their junior year of college, Sakura hadn't worked up the courage to talk to the dark-haired male except for one time when she asked to borrow his notes.

The woman carefully analyzed the possible setbacks of going to look. Sakura couldn't think of anything so she finally said, "Alright, I'll go."

"Great!" the other woman exclaimed. "We'll go this weekend! You, Shikamaru, Naruto, and me! I'll pack..."

Ino's voice began to fade as Sakura's mind drifted off into thoughts about this trip. A feeling of dread was building in her chest and when she got that sensation, trouble could possibly be on its way.

"Come on Sakura!"

Said woman sighed as she gazed up at the bright, but yet cloudy sky. Why was she out here, in the middle of summer, sweat pouring down her body, and insects nearly eating her alive? She was beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea, especially on a day when the temperature was 85 degrees. Life sucked immensely at the moment.

"Shut up, I'm coming!" Sakura shouted back while attempting to fight her way through a particularly stubborn bush. After finally breaking through, Sakura stumbled toward the bright orange jumpsuit that was getting farther and farther away. "Naruto, slow down you idiot!"

The spiky haired male looked over his shoulder, but continued to walk away with Shikamaru and Ino a few feet in front of him. "You're moving so slow Sakura! Catch up already!"

"Why you..." Sakura growled quietly, having every intent on bashing that guy's head in the moment she did catch up. "Damn bastard, I'll..."

Her sentence was cut short when her sandal got tangled in a mess of roots. Sakura cursed her luck and attempted to unwrap herself from its clutches. Looking over her shoulder, she could hardly see Naruto and the others from how far ahead they had gotten. Sakura attempted to break the vine, but the root was strong and she found herself getting more irritated the harder she fought with it.

"Wait a second guys!" she shouted as loud as she could and her heart sank when they continued walking. Great, she was all alone, miles deep into the woods, the roots were still refusing to let go of her sandal, and now the sky was darkening. Damn the weatherman for saying it would be a sunny day.

Finally getting beyond frustrated, Sakura yanked her shoe so hard that she ripped the foliage and fell flat on her butt. She cursed again, stood up, and tried to dust the dirt off her red shorts when she felt a drop of warm rain on her nose. Turning green eyes up to the sky, Sakura felt her spirit deflate further at the sight of the darkened clouds.

Thunder sounded overhead and she quickly took off in the direction that she last saw her friends.

"Naruto!" she yelled as she dodged trees and jumped over bushes. "Ino! Shikamaru! Where are you bastards!"

The only reply she got was the howling of the wind picking up. The rain was starting to fall heavier and lightning majestically forked the sky. Sakura's eyes darted in every direction trying to find shelter from the storm, but all she saw was forestry. This wasn't good; being near so many trees in the middle of lightning was never a smart idea and the last thing she wanted was to be fried.

"Damn it," Sakura muttered angrily, while brushing her wet locks out of her face. "Just my luck for this to happen to me! Of course they wouldn't bother to make sure everyone was still together."

The lost woman was soaked to the bone within seconds and just when she thought that underneath a tree would be her only shelter, out of the corner of her eye, Sakura spotted what looked like a cave in the side of a rock wall. It seemed a little...intimidating, but a bright flash of lightning and deep roll of thunder threw all hesitation out the window.

Sakura bolted for the cave and once she was inside, placed her hands on her knees and struggled to catch her breath. Her sides screamed with each breath and her throat felt raw from how much oxygen she was trying to inhale at once.

After a few moments, the exhausted girl was able to breathe somewhat normally and she took a moment to look around at her surroundings. Her eyes had to adjust to the dim lighting and when it did, Sakura could see just how narrow the cave was. She could tell that it went deeper as well, but there was no way in hell that-

"What if this is the dragon's cave," Sakura whispered to herself. She then frowned. "I sound so pathetic..."

Still, her curiosity was getting the best of her. There was no way a dragon was in this cave, but it couldn't hurt to look...right?

Sakura paused for a moment and weighed her options. The safest thing to do was to stay at the mouth of the cave until the storm passed, but then she might miss out...

"Why am I even contemplating this again?" she scolded herself, eyes still scanning her location wearily. "I need to find the others first."

Still, the woman was extremely inquisitive. If anything, she just wanted to check out the cave to prove that there was in fact no dragon so she could rub it in Ino's face. Nothing was more satisfying than proving her best friend wrong...since she always seemed to be right.

Finally making up her mind, Sakura pulled a flashlight from the pack on her shoulders and slowly made her way deeper into the cave. It was eerily quiet; the only sound was her unsure footsteps reverberating off the rounded walls. Taking in a deep breath to try to calm her pounding heart, Sakura nervously hooked a strand of wet hair behind her ear and threw worried glances over her shoulder as the opening of the cave shrank in size. Soon only the yellow light of the flashlight was seen.

Sakura wasn't sure how long she walked, but it was long enough to start feeling claustrophobic. Her footsteps sped up unconsciously and the worried female was starting to wonder if this wasn't such a good idea. Her panic mounted until she was at a full run, trying not to trip over stray rocks while keeping a death grip on her flashlight.

_Run...little girl..._

A fright seared through her body at the voice that seemed to be surrounding her in the tight cavern. What the hell was going on?

_Are you afraid?_

_I'm going crazy!_ Sakura screamed in her mind, her legs pumping as fast as they could go. _I have to get the hell out of here!_

The pink-haired woman ran hard and breathed a sigh of relief when a sliver of light began to grow brighter the longer she ran. Finally, she reached it and threw herself into its glow.

She was surprised when she landed on sand. Looking up, she gave the new area a once over, confusion written on her features. "What the hell is this?"

There was a clear pond with a large waterfall straight across the calm water. How was this kind of place in side of a cave? This was like something that was in a movie, but never in real life. Still, here it was right in front of her.

Shakily getting to her feet, Sakura brushed some of the sand off the front of her wet clothes. She took a few curious steps towards the water and looked into it.

"I look like crap," she muttered, self-consciously reaching up to try and smooth out her disheveled locks.

Looking up again at the waterfall, Sakura squinted and noticed that there was a hole behind it. It was clear that a giant lizard wasn't in the area she was in now. Despite the fact that it was a pond, the area surrounding it was closed in by jagged rock. The young woman looked back at the dark cavern from which she had escaped. That was her only way out from the looks of it, but she didn't want to risk hearing those voices again. It was terrifying and Sakura could still feel the shiver go up her spine at the thought of it. Maybe the cave behind the waterfall had another exit out of this crazy place. She was beginning to think that her completely brilliant plan to impress Sasuke was a stupid one.

Sakura returned her flashlight to her pack, realizing it probably wouldn't work after what she was going to do. Placing a foot inside the surprisingly warm water and silently thanking Ino for talking her out of bringing her cell phone, Sakura waded into the pond.

After a few steps, she dropped completely under the water's surface. She came up sputtering and coughing. The water didn't look like it was that deep at all, but if it went over her head and she was still sinking when the urge to swim kicked in; the pond's floor must have been almost nonexistent.

Sakura continued to curse to herself as she swam, her limbs quickly growing tired from the extra weight of her soaked clothes, backpack, and sandals. After a few moments (that felt like forever), the twenty-year old was pulling herself up onto the flat plateau adjacent of the waterfall.

The rushing current was somewhat soothing, but something was off; it was so much warmer that it was before she swam across the pond. She wasn't sure if that really meant anything, but it was still a little strange. A strange scent filled her nostrils as well. It was faint, but almost sickening. The smell brought back a piece of the folktale, but Sakura pushed it away before she lost her sanity.

The young woman pulled her flashlight out of her pack and turned it on; nothing happened. She shook it a few times, but that didn't help any either. Unscrewing the head, Sakura blew into the inside until it was dry and tried again. This time it worked.

"Alright," Sakura coached herself as she peered inside. "Here goes nothing."

She took her first few shaky steps into the cavern, not knowing what to expect. The warm air she felt on the outside tripled in intensity. Sweat began pouring from temples and it became harder to breathe the stifling oxygen. Why the hell did it get so hot all of a sudden?

The next moment, a deep mumble echoed throughout the cave, causing Sakura to freeze. She pointed her flashlight straight ahead and her heart dropped to feet when she saw the light glitter. Viridian orbs widened in shock at what she saw.

"It's real," she breathed.

There stood an enormous dragon, black scales shining in the dim lighting. It turned its head in her direction, crimson orbs sparkling like rubies. Smoke billowed from its nostrils as its quiet growl vibrated inside Sakura's chest. The dragon attempted to move towards her, but the rattle of thick chains sounded and stopped the large creature's movements.

Sakura unconsciously took a step back, still in awe at the sight of the majestic mythical creature. The dragon actually existed; she couldn't believe it. Here it was staring at her, sharp teeth bared in her direction. The fact that she could possibly be in danger was scratching at the back of her mind, but Sakura was mesmerized.

"Why are you here?"

Sakura blinked. "Did you just-"

Her sentence was cut off by the dragon's massive tail wrapping around her body. The flashlight clattered to the ground and shut off, but the creature's piercing orbs still shone brightly in the dark.

"Why did you come?"

Sakura felt fear rising inside her when she was brought close in front of the dragon's face. Every breath that fanned her felt scalding hot and she struggled to try and free herself to no avail. The grip around her only increased until she was sure her ribs would snap if it squeezed any tighter.

"I-I just wanted to see if you were real," she wheezed. "I'll leave now and never come back. I promise."

The dragon moved so it was only inches away from her. "You'll never leave this place, Sakura Haruno."

Sakura's heart sank at those words. It was clear that coming to the Forbidden Forest was a mistake. Perhaps this was why so many people disappeared after coming here. Terror crept into the frightened woman and her breath hitched as tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

"Please don't kill me," she begged. "I'll do anything!"

The dragon's grip tightened a fraction more. "You have not, nor will you be, the last to say that to me. What do you believe you can do for me?"

"I-I..."

What could she possibly do for something that wasn't even supposed to exist? There was nothing she could do for it. Absolutely-

"I'll find a way to free you!"

The creature was silent for a moment. "How can you, a mere human free me?"

It placed her down, but kept its tail hovering behind her just in case Sakura tried to bolt. She gazed up at the large dragon, beryl orbs wandering over its body with curiosity. The mythical creature was...beautiful. Ebony scales, piercing red eyes, talons that looked sharp enough to tear through human flesh. No matter how dangerous the creature was, Sakura could still see the majesty and grace as it gazed at her.

"I don't know," she breathed. "Do you know a way?"

A deep rumble echoed from the creature's throat. "Yes, but it will require time; a month to teach you."

Sakura's eyes widened. "An _entire_ month?"

Burning crimson eyes gazed at her. "Would you rather I destroy you now?"

Well that was an easy answer. Of course she didn't want to die, but she had so many obligations as it was! Her job at Olive Garden, college, and the new video game she had just bought two days ago! By the time she got out of here, that game would be old news and she wouldn't have a clue what the new talk of Game Stop would be!

Still, being alive trumped over all; however, what about food? It was clear this dragon was not going to let her leave. She would starve to death before she learned what was needed to help the dragon escape. Sakura brought it up timidly and cringed when the dragon's tail wrapped itself closer.

"There is plenty of fish in that pond," it responded. "The water is also drinkable."

Sakura frowned. She loved fish as much as the next person, but eating it nonstop for an entire month did not sound appetizing whatsoever. What was she going to do without her cinnamon apple muffins? She would die, that's what would happen. How would she cook the fish anyway? Well, perhaps her captor could assist with that...

The young woman gazed at the dragon once more and her inquisitive nature began to churn. "So...are you the dragon that was once a man?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

Sakura, hooked her knotting hair behind her ear and asked, "Well since I'm, um, supposed to stay here with you, what's your name?"

The dragon raised his head and said, "Itachi."

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**That's the first chapter. This will not be long story. Just a few chapters to get back in the swing of writing. I really need to work on my other stories as well lol. I have too many going at once. Review and let me know what you think. **


	2. II

**Thank you to my three guests, Athena the Great, and Kuro Kishin for reviewing**!

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Sakura had been sitting down near Itachi for about an hour now, completely bored out of her mind. There was no way she could last a month of just sitting in an environment (that was similar to a sauna) with a creature that wasn't supposed to exist and could kill her easily. She'd die of heat stroke or piss him off before the day was over.

Glancing at her watch, she let out a heavy sigh and looked out at the waterfall, the sounds becoming like a melody. Green eyes watched the water slosh mightily into the pond as if she were in a trance. The crystal clear flow of the water truly was beautiful to look at. Maybe she could stare at it all day to pass the time.

Yawning loudly, Sakura stood and wiped the sweat that was trickling down her forehead. Timid eyes gazed over at the ebony dragon to find she was locked in his piercing stare.  
"What is it?" she asked nervously.

"Do you know what chakra is?"

Sakura frowned. "Chalk what?"

Suddenly the dragon's muscular tail whipped out and locked itself around Sakura's body. She let out a squeal of surprise before she found herself inches away from Itachi's face. She looked up fearfully and saw that in his eyes were what looked like commas forming a circle. The woman gasped quietly when she saw them slowly begin spin.

"You have very little chakra," Itachi voice resounded around her, "but it is flowing so you have potential although you will most likely fail."

"Well that's a real positive attitude to have," Sakura said while furrowing her brows. "How do you know I won't be good at this...chakra whatever thing?"

"What makes you think you will be?"

That was a good question. She didn't even know what this chakra was but here she was acting like she would a pro at it. Well she had to be if she wanted to live...

"I don't know," Sakura responded honestly, her body relaxing in his grip. "Still, I won't know until I try, right?"

Itachi remained silent for a moment, his eyes returning to the solid crimson color they had been before. He placed her down and moved away, silver chains rattling in the dark.  
"Get some sleep. I will begin your training when you wake up."

Sakura looked around the cave, trying to figure out just what she was supposed to sleep on. She could dimly see from how dark the cave was. It didn't look like this would be comfortable and although she had been dozing off before, she was wide awake after Itachi grabbed her like that. Then there was that freaky thing with his eyes...

_Maybe I'll wake up and this will all be a dream,_ Sakura thought hopefully. I_ probably hit my head on a rock or something and knocked myself out. I'll wake up and laugh at how crazy this whole thing is._

Lying down on a rock that she was going to pretend was a pillow, Sakura shut her eyes in hope that this all wasn't real.

Itachi gazed over at the first human he had seen in ninety years. Such a strange girl and borderline irritating. She seemed absolutely clueless and he wasn't sure why he didn't kill her immediately like he usually did to the people who came stumbling into his prison. Maybe it had something to do with that attitude of hers. First she was terrified, but it changed. She seemed almost tolerant of him, not that it mattered.

Still, the fact that her fear had left so quickly puzzled him. Did she not realize that if he wanted, he could rip her to shreds, burn her to a crisp, or crush that fragile body of hers? Something about her did not add up.

Then there was the fact that her chakra was unlocked, but she had no idea what chakra was. True, it was possible, but extremely rare and it was exceptionally strong, considering she did not have any training.

Itachi laid down, placing his head on his claws. He had never seen hair that abstract or eyes that vivid. Such a deep emerald; not quite jade but not plain enough to be called green. She was the first woman he had seen since her...that woman who caused him to be chained and bound in the body of a dragon, unable to die or get the scent of charred flesh out of his nostrils.

That was another thing about this female: he could smell a hint of jasmine when she was close. It was an intoxicating smell; something that heightened his senses and cleared his mind. The fact that she had such an affect like that on him after an hour of being in her presence was impossible.

The dragon raised his head when he heard her groan in annoyance and sit up. Her gaze turned to him and she said, "I can't sleep and I'm hungry."

"Then feed yourself from the pond," was his simple response. "You will need energy for when you begin your training."

The girl frowned at him sourly. "Do you expect me to catch them with my bare hands?"

This woman was already more trouble than she was worth. There really wasn't any way she could caught herself food unless the fish swam right by the edge, something they wouldn't do because of the waterfall. She would have to learn how to catch them by hand, but that incompetent woman would be out there for hours griping until she finally gave up. To save himself a headache, Itachi rose to his feet and began moving toward the exit. Sakura's eyes widened in astonishment.

"What are you doing! I thought you couldn't move far because of the chains!"

She scooted back quickly, trying to get out of his range. Itachi was pleased with her reaction; it showed that he did still have the fear factor to use over her.

"My chains have the ability to restrict my movement when Pein decides it's necessary," he answered, moving past the frightened female.

"Pein?"

Itachi turned his head to look at her for a moment when he reached the opening of the cave. "The one who put this curse on me."

Sakura got to her feet and timidly walked up beside him. "So um...what exactly happened? Did you really destroy you're entire clan?"

"Yes."

Sakura felt a twinge in her chest at those words. "Even...your parents?"

Itachi brought his tail around and hovered it above the water just to the right of the waterfall. "All of them."

She lowered her head, coral bangs covering her eyes. "How could you do that?" she whispered softly.

Itachi's tail shot into the water like a spear and when he pulled it out, there was a nice sized fish wriggling frantically on the tip. He moved it to where they were standing and shook the flopping fish onto the warm cave floor. "They needed to die for their insolence."

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could anyone say that about their family? They were the ones who loved you the most no matter what you did. They stood by your side, protecting you as you grew. Mom was the one you went to when during the heartbreaks of teenage years. Dad was always there to pick you up when you fell and tell you to try again. Sakura didn't know what it meant to have siblings, but she was sure a bond like that was not easily broken.

"You're a monster," she whispered.

Itachi's gaze whipped to look at the pink-haired woman who had just spoken those words that were echoed in his memory.

_You're a monster Itachi!_

"I _am_," he said sharply, turning to back her against the wall of the cave, "however, it is not your place to give your opinion on something that does not concern you."

Sakura gazed up at the creature before her and he was surprised at what he saw. Yes he could see the fear he desired to be there, but there was also defiance. Itachi could see anger blazing strongly in those deep viridian pools. Tears trickled down her cheeks and he watched her hastily wipe them away.

"I'd do anything to have my parents back," she growled softly. "I can't believe I'm helping someone like you get out of here. You...you deserve it!"

"Perhaps," Itachi answered, leveling his gaze with hers, "but that doesn't matter. You offered to help in order to save your life out of selfish will to live. If I am a monster, why are you willing to set me free?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but had none. It was true that she was just being selfish. It was because she didn't want to die that she tried to find a way out of losing her life. What was there to say? She still didn't want to die and unless she did what this dragon wanted, Sakura knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. If he was willing to slaughter his entire family, there was no way she would matter to him.

Itachi, noticing her sudden silence, moved away and caught two more fish for her, laying them next to each other. He did not care if what he said hurt her feelings. She had no idea what happened, but yet she was judging him like the many others that heard a smudged version of his life story.

The dragon turned his crimson gaze back onto his newest guest. "Eat."

Sakura crinkled her nose. "It's not cooked Itachi. I don't like sushi."

The dragon turned to her. "What is sushi?"

The young woman tried to suppress a chuckle at his innocent question and said, "It's raw fish. Can't you smoke it or something? Aren't you a fire breathing dragon?"

Itachi remained silent for a moment. Did she think he was some sort of servant? True, it would most likely only make her sick if her food wasn't cooked, but to ask him to cook it for her? There truly wasn't another way and that grated on his nerves.

"Move," he instructed firmly.

Sakura did as she was told, looking with curious eyes around his body. Itachi breathed deeply, feeling the smoldering heat that was always inside him building. He exhaled softly, emitting a small fire as he did so. Sakura watched in wonder. It still hadn't fully set in that she was living with a dragon until now. The radiating heat waves warmed her face further, causing more sweat to roll down her body. She was going to need a bath from how sticky she was becoming.

Itachi finished cooking and turned to go back deeper into the cave. Sakura watched him go and called her thanks after him, but he did not answer. Shrugging her shoulders, Sakura sat down in front of the still smoking fish. It smelled good, but she knew without any seasonings, it probably wasn't going to taste all that great.

Giving her food a few moments to cool, the hungry woman pulled off a piece of flesh, feeling similar to a caveman with how barbaric her meal was. She placed the fish up to her lips, still able to feel warmth from the fire used to cook it.

Sakura was surprised at the rich smoky flavor that the morsel had, an almost spicy taste was hinted with every bite. She found her stomach kicking into high gear and reached to tear off another piece.

"This is actually pretty good," Sakura said quietly while she ate.

"You must also drink," came Itachi's powerful voice. "You have lost fluids from being in this cave so replenish yourself."

After finishing the first fish, Sakura did as Itachi said and moved over to the water's edge. She didn't want to drink warm water; that just tasted too awful. Timid fingers reached up and moved through the cascading water. She smiled at the cool feel that inched from her palm to her wrist. Cupping her hands, Sakura held them out, letting them fill with water and moving it to her lips, relishing the soothing liquid moving down her parched throat. She didn't realize how thirsty she was until she had something to drink.

Itachi turned to watch her gather water and drink. It seemed like she was no longer upset, but in the back of his mind, he was a little curious as to what made her so angry. The look of hurt and rage that crossed her soft features was real. It wasn't one of those judgmental expressions that he knew he had been receiving since the moment he ended his clan.

He gazed at her silently when Sakura stuck her arm through the water and began to giggle like an amused child. What was Pain thinking by having this strange woman come to him? It was only because of him that she could have come. Something was off, but he couldn't figure out what it could be. Whatever it was, it would be for Pain's entertainment.

_Pein has something to do with this pathetic girl..._

"Itachi?"

The dragon blinked slowly and shifted his tail around his body. "Yes?"

He watched with curiosity as the rosette moved over to him and looked up, bright orbs nearly gems in the dark.

"I'm sorry for the things I said," she whispered softly. "It isn't my place to judge you, especially when I don't know the whole story."

The black dragon remained silent, unsure how to respond to her apology. After a few moments, she gave him a weary smile then moved back over to where she had laid down earlier. It seemed like he couldn't force his gaze to leave her as she closed her eyes and her heard her breath even out. Itachi was curious to know what the outcome would be from meeting this woman who confused him in many ways.

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**Not much happened here, but we will see more into what's going on in the next chapter. It will be a bit fast paced. As I said, this story isn't meant to be drawn out. **


	3. III

**Thank you divine-chaos13, w, shadows, whitefang245, and OPFAN for reviewing!**

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_Sakura was running. She had no idea where because of the pitch black area that engulfed her, making it seem like she was running on the shadowed darkness. Her heart was racing, pulse thundering in her ears, sweat trickling down her brow, and fear jolting through her body._

_She could feel that same presence; the one that had terrified her in the cave before she found the waterfall and then the dragon. The aura that seemed to be following her seemed powerful...unstoppable almost. _

_"Why do you try to escape me Sakura?"_

_There was that voice again: silky and smooth but cold and menacing at the same time. Never had the young woman ever been so terrified in her life._

_Sakura pressed on, not daring to look behind her. Her breaths were coming in forced gasps every time her foot landed on the blackened surface she was running on. She was starting to feel as if she was trying to sprint through water, her strides beginning to slow down immensely. Sakura tried to force her legs to move faster, but their pace only weakened until she was no longer moving. _

_"Sakura..." _

_A pale hand rested on her shoulder and she began to scream at the top of her lungs._

Sakura jolted awake, the feeling of the cold hand still pressing against her skin causing goose bumps to rise on her flesh. She sat up wearily and studied her surroundings: still in the same dank cave that she had been in for the last few hours. Sakura could see Itachi's crimson orbs staring at her, that being the solid evidence of what she hoped was only a dream.

"What?" she questioned when he didn't look away, standing up on wobbly legs that had fallen asleep from the way she had been laying.

"You were having a nightmare," he stated. "You screamed a few moments ago."

Her cheeks tinted an even darker red than what they were already flushed from the heat of the cave.  
"I was," she admitted while moving over to the cool breeze the waterfall created. "It scared the hell out of me."

Itachi did not respond, there was no need to. Something was bothering her and it was true that not being mentally sound could possibly hinder any process, but it was not his concern as to why she was upset.  
"Are you ready to begin your training?" he asked instead, moving to stand, muscular tail sliding against the cave floor.

Sakura remembered why she was being held here and decided the quicker she was done with this, the faster Itachi would be freed and she could leave. Maybe she could even get done early.

She held onto that hope tightly as she stood and ruffled her stringy hair. "Okay, what do we do?"

"Come."

Sakura gingerly took a step forward, her heart thudding in her ears. She swallowed thickly, no where near comfortable with being close to him, but reminding herself that she was needed so Itachi wouldn't kill her...hopefully. Standing beside an eleven foot dragon did something to one's nerves. She finally stopped in front of him and he lowered his head, red eyes beginning to spin.

Sakura felt as if she was being sucked into a black and red vortex. Her insides must have been yanked from her body due to the forceful pull and momentarily, she couldn't move her lungs to breathe. After what had to be no more than a second, Sakura found herself jolting to a halt. She inhaled a deep breath, feeling like her organs hadn't caught up with them yet. Placing her hands on her knees, sweat beaded down her forehead as she attempted to pull in more air.

"When you're stronger, coming to this world will not have an affect on you."

"Is...that s-so?" Sakura responded as sarcastically as possible while still struggling to get a grip on reality. She felt like she were going to vomit and for a moment, her hand did quickly cover her mouth.

Finally, the Sakura's body began to relax and she could breathe after no longer than a minute although it felt like several hours. Turning watery green orbs up to the sky, Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Where _are_ we?"

The sky was a deep crimson that matched the red of Itachi's eyes. Angry, black clouds billowed past at a speed that was unnatural, especially since there was no wind.

"This is the power of my Sharingan," Itachi spoke, his voice seeming to surround her. "Here, you are at my mercy. My desires become reality within this realm. It is a power that only the Uchiha Clan possesses; a power that began their demise."

_Sharingan? What the hell is that?_ Sakura didn't understand anything that just happened or what the dragon was talking about, but there wasn't a point in trying to deny any of it. The young woman believed anything could happen the moment she stumbled into a cave that had a mythical creature locked in it.  
Turning to find her captor, Sakura asked, "Okay, so how do I..."

Her words were silenced by the sight before her. Who was this man who stood a few feet away? Such creamy skin and silky ebony hair was the first features that caught her attention. Sakura's eyes trailed over his form, clearly able to see the lines of his muscles through the mesh shirt he wore underneath his partially opened cloak.

The male reached up, slender fingers sliding stray locks of hair behind his ear, momentarily closing his eyes as he did so. When he opened them, Sakura realized she'd know those unique irises anywhere.  
"Itachi?" she asked curiously. "Is that you?"

"Yes," he responded. "This is my original form."

Sakura was speechless, her eyes slowly moving over his figure. The word handsome was beginning to seem obsolete the more she gazed at him. Her heart fluttered in her chest and her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. Sakura had never seen a more attractive man in her life and she could feel her cheeks starting to heat up.

_Well, this just changed everything,_ Sakura thought as she blinked a few times to pull herself out of la-la land.

"So...what do we do now?" Sakura questioned, trying hard to keep composure in her voice.

"Your chakra is already unlocked, but now it needs to flow," he answered. "It is dominant so I will use my own to help it began to circulate through its paths."

"So you're going to jump start it pretty much?" Sakura asked. "Like give it a little push?"

"Yes."

Sakura's brows furrowed as a question she had earlier resurfaced again. "Okay, well what exactly is chakra?"

Itachi placed a free hand inside his cloak and supported it there against the opening, his deep red gaze remaining focused on her. "It is energy that is used in order to fight. The stronger your chakra, the more powerful abilities you have. It's an ancient practice of the shinobi."

"Shinobi?"

Was he talking about _ninjas_? Sakura only knew what shinobi was because of her world history class back in high school. She knew they were stealthy and apparently great fighters, but she still couldn't quite grasp what chakra was.

"So is it like energy used for fighting?" she questioned.

Itachi nodded. "My Sharingan allows this world to be created using my chakra. My eyes are the soul ability of my clan. A power used by only one group of people is called Kekkei Genkai."

The young woman was starting to think that chakra was like magic or something. Her interest was piqued on exactly how to use it or if it was even possible for her to use it at all. The day's events were still completely unreal and hard to process.

_I need an apple cinnamon muffin,_ Sakura thought tiredly as she took one more sweeping glance over the surrounding area.

"Come," Itachi's smooth voice called and he turned away seconds later.

Sakura followed after him like an invisible strand were connecting the two of them. They moved through the desolate looking area until a group of trees were able to be seen off in the distance. Sakura squinted and saw that the leaves were ebony like the clouds and the trees' branches and trunk were the same color red as the sky. The foliage was beautiful in its own eerie way. Markings that matched the little commas in Itachi's eyes lined each one of them in their own special pattern. When the two were about ten feet away from the trees, the black markings began to move and slithered into a shape Sakura couldn't describe. It reminded her of the symbol that was on biohazard waste bins.

Itachi stopped walking and turned to face Sakura, causing her heart rate to nearly triple just from looking at him. He sat down on the ground and motioned for her to do the same. Cautiously she followed, not sure what to expect.

"I'm going to use my chakra to help yours begin to flow and then we will work on controlling it," the former dragon said, locking eyes with her. He held out his palms. "Place your hands on top of mine."

Gingerly the pink-haired woman reached out her hands to rest them against her captor's. They were extremely warm, but it wasn't a scorching type of heat; it was comforting, relaxing almost. She also realized how soft his palms were. Not a hint of calluses lined them and Sakura couldn't stop her fingers from softly running against his skin.

Itachi watched as the strange girl became fixated with his hands. Pain had some nerve to send such a woman to him. He had been told before he was transformed that a woman was the only being who could ever free him and that was only after Pain chose her. Itachi had known that Sakura was coming because of the circumstances that Pain laid out. He knew her name, and a little of what type of person she was. Pain believed that Sakura would become powerful and possibly be an asset to him through the use of the Sharingan. The god told him that the Sharingan's chakra would enhance Sakura's own and her strength would be unmatched. Itachi wasn't sure why Pain needed someone powerful under his wing and it was not his business to know. He was simply tired of being locked in that form and cave.

Still, the strange twitch that he felt in his chest was foreign and the murderer did not like that he couldn't identify what it was. Itachi was positive it had something to do with this woman, but was it Pain's doing and if so, why? The soft flutter in his chest was comforting, but unusual and completely unwanted. Sakura would not be the first woman to come to him and he hever felt such a thing for any of them. He studied her emerald green eyes silently, his gaze moving to her cherry blossom colored hair. Even in the world of the Sharingan, her hair had a shimmer to to it, making it look a soft as silk.

Itachi forcefully pushed any thoughts of the female in front of him away and focused on the task at hand. He did not have time for this kind of confusion. All he needed was to return to his original form.

"Place your hands flat on my palms," Itachi instructed, crossing his legs and Sakura following his movements. He found his curiosity sparking when he noticed the deep pink tinge underneath her cheeks, but Itachi immediately pushed that away just like he had his other thoughts.

Sakura inched her fingers across his smooth palms until they were against the start of his wrists. "What happens now?"

"I'm going to pour my chakra into your body in order to begin the cycle through your chakra network," Itachi explained, his eyes locking with Sakura. "It will take only a few moments; however, there is a possibility that it could be painful."

The pink-haired woman swallowed thickly at those words. She had a somewhat high tolerance for pain, but that didn't mean she _wanted_ to be hurt. "There's no way to do it without it being painful?"

"No. It all depends on your type of chakra if it will hurt or not."

The woman remained quiet for a moment and looked down. When she returned her gaze to her, Sakura said with determination in her voice, "Okay, go ahead."

Itachi closed his eyes and when they reopened, there was a strange pinwheel shape in place of a normal pupil and she realized that was the same that the commas on the tree had made. Sakura found herself nearly hypnotized by its strange shape...until a jolt of pain coursed through her body.

She let out a small cry as fire seemed to inch through every fiber of her being. Her nerves felt like live wires and a flame that must have been hot enough to melt concrete poured through her. Gritting her teeth, Sakura did not remove her hands from Itachi's, completely determined to make it through this. After a few moments, the searing heat lessened until it was just bearable and then until it was comforting. Cracking open her eyes, she saw Itachi watching her silently.

"Is it over?" Sakura asked hoarsely.

Itachi nodded and Sakura let out a deep breath of satisfaction at those words. Sakura pulled her hands back from her captor and marveled at the cool, flowing sensation she felt in her body. It felt as if a stream was running inside her and Sakura put two and two together, figuring that it must be that chakra energy Itachi spoke of.

"So what now?"

The male stood and Sakura followed suit. He gazed off into the crimson sky for a moment before turning to look at her. ""Now I have to teach you how to control your chakra. Once you understand how to manifest its power, I can teach you how to fight with it."

Cocking her head to the side and raising a pink brow in confusion, the young woman asked, "Why will I need to know how to fight with it when I'm just supposed to help free you?"

Itachi stood and began to walk away. "You will learn in due time."

Sakura wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and found herself trailing after this stranger once again. She watched his long hair billow softly with every step he took and found herself blushing again. This man was holding her hostage until he was freed of his curse...well technically she had offered to help in order to save her life. Either way no matter how it was looked at, Itachi was still holding her against her will. The only reason Sakura wanted to help him was to save her own ass.

Abruptly, Itachi turned around and took a step towards her, making her nearly run into him. Sakura paused and looked at him with annoyance. "What are you doing?"

He didn't respond, Itachi only locked his eyes with Sakura and without realizing she was doing so, the young woman searched his eyes that right now matched his hair. His gaze hardened a bit, but he did not look away. Curious orbs moving slowly, she studied his features intricately. His skin was free of blemishes and facial hair, his lips thin and slightly chapped. His eyebrows were dark, but thin and complemented his long lashes. Itachi's neck was slender, his Adam's apple barely visible and the lines that outlined his throat curving gently until they met his collar bone.

"You're very attractive," she said softly, more out of observation than infatuation...or so she thought.

Itachi kept his composure, but his mind was churning. He never had a woman tell him such things...other than his wife so long ago. That same fluttering feeling he felt earlier was starting to return and Itachi was now sure it was because of this woman. He would not allow something like that to happen ever again.

Sakura let out a little gasp when Itachi leaned forward, his eyes returning to their blood red and the little commas beginning to whirl. That same jerking feeling took over her body and when it stopped, even though she was still dizzy, the sensation wasn't as bad as it was the first time. Immediately the heat of the cave washed over her and sweat began to pour down her brow. When the dizzy feeling didn't subside, Sakura realized that she was getting ready to pass out.

I need to drink water, she thought blearily as her strength began to fail her. Her vision began to fade to black for a moment and when it slowly came back into focus, she realized that something was on her back. After blinking a few times, the dehydrated woman figured that she was no longer standing.

"You need to keep your fluids up or you will be of no use. Working with your chakra will be tiring and exert your body to its limits. In order to stay healthy and able to use your chakra, you need to constantly drink water."

Sakura leaned her head back and saw Itachi. He was once again back in his dragon form and his tail had been what stopped her from crashing into the hard, stone floor. Taking a deep breath, Sakura got to her feet and swayed as she tried to maintain her balance. The dragon's tail wrapped around her waist snuggly. Curious green eyes looked back at the creature.

"You are not stable enough to try and drink without assistance," Itachi explained. "You will end up drowning if I do not help you."

Sakura gave him a weary smile and said gratefully, "Thanks for the help."

"Do not mistake it for compassion."

Something about his words were cutting, but Sakura ignored it. She had this unusual feeling when it came to Itachi from the moment she saw his human form and it might not have been some sort of passion, but she knew that they would be able to come to some sort of understanding before this was over. There was no way they could spend a month together and not at least grow comfortable around one another.

* * *

**So her chakra is unlocked now so it's only a matter of time before she can free Itachi. What do you think will happen as in why Pain feels he can use her for his benefit?**


	4. IV

**Thank you JerrieHigurashi16, divine-chaos13, KawaiiShyGirl, minniemousemom, Shadows, and twinkletoast for reviewing!**

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Ino sat in class biting her manicured nails nervously, her foot tapping rhythmically against the cool tile. She had to get out of this classroom with how worried about Sakura she was. It had been two weeks since their trip to the Forbidden Valley in search of the mythical dragon. Who knew how long it was before they noticed Sakura was not catching up and when they back-tracked, the trio couldn't find hide nor hair of Sakura.

There had been foot prints embedded in the muddied forest floor, but they led to a solid rock wall. There was nothing else that could pinpoint her location. It was like the Forbidden Valley's forest had swallowed her whole.

Ino wrapped her arms around her body after feeling an unpleasant shiver crawl up her spine. Seriously, the foot prints vanished...how was that possible? It was like something swooped out of the sky and hauled her away.

Switching to a different nail after the one she had been gnawing on had been chewed to oblivion, Ino tried once more to focus on the professor was saying, but to no avail. Her blue eyes looked down at her watch and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that class was due to end in four minutes. Immediately Ino began to pack her bag and once she was finished, the distraught woman began to pick at her nails yet again.

Come on bell, she thought impatiently, eyes following every tick of the clock on the wall. Ring...  
As if on cue, a loud ringing sounded and the blonde nearly tripped from how fast she jumped out of her chair. Ino made a beeline for the door and was out in the hallway in seconds. She had to know if anything had been discovered about Sakura.

"Ino Yamanaka?"

The woman turned to see two men standing behind her. "Yes?"

One male held up a badge, shoulder length ebony hair shifting when he did so. "Fugaku Uchiha, Investigator. We need you to come with us ma'am. We have a few questions about your friend's disappearance."

_Uchiha? _

Blonde eyebrows furrowed with confusion. Were they arresting her? Did they think she had killed Sakura and said she went missing to cover her tracks? She already had gone through hours of questioning with the police the moment she and Naruto reported her missing. Five thousand thoughts were going through Ino's head at once and her heart immediately began to pound harder with fear. What if she was put in prison for something she didn't do?

Fugaku noticed the scared look on the woman's face and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry so much. We just want to hear your side of the story."

She gazed at the warily before nodding. "O-Okay."

Ino followed the two men towards their car and asked where they were going. Once the man Fugaku told her, she quickly texted her parents to let them know where she would be. As they began moving, Ino gazed out of the window, watching the green landscape blur together from the speed they were going. Her thoughts were beginning to focus on her best friend more than if she would be accused of a crime she didn't commit. Above all things, she just hoped Sakura was safe.

Once they arrived at the station, Ino got out of the car and Fugaku motioned towards the building. It was busy inside. People were bustling in every direction, many not even bothering to look at her. Agent Fugaku walked towards another man who was older. His graying hair was a little unruly and when he gazed over at Ino, she wasn't even sure if his eyes were open. Well eye; his left one was covered with a bandage that wrapped around his head. She momentarily wondered what had happened to him.

"This way Ms. Yamanaka," Agent Fugaku said while continuing down the bland hallway.

The arrived at a door and once she was inside, the young college student quietly studied her surroundings: gray walls, a mahogany desk with three chairs by it, and a camera on a stand sitting in one of the corners. Ino understood that this wasn't going to be a questioning; it was going to be an interrogation.

"Go ahead and have a seat."

Ino obeyed their request and sat down on the wooden chair, shivering when her body adjusted to the chill air in the room.

"Just wait right here ma'am. Someone will be coming in to speak with you shortly."

Ino nodded and waited in silence for this person to come talk to her. Every second seemed to tick by like minutes and there was nothing more she wanted than to be at home. She wished her father were here as childish as it sounded. Ino was honestly scared. As she gazed at her hands that were rung in her lap and a tear slipped quietly down her cheek.

The door creaked open slowly and when Ino looked up, a look of shock crossed her features. "Sasuke? What are you doing here?"

He gazed at her silently before coming to sit across the table from her. The dark haired male slouched in his chair and gave her a lazy look. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm fine thanks," Ino answered, feeling a bit more comfortable now that she saw a familiar face. It finally hit her why he may be here. "Was that man your father?"

Sasuke leaned forward and placed his hands on the table, his dark eyes seeming more serious than usual. "Yes he is, but we have more important things to talk about. What exactly happened on your trip to Forbidden Valley two weeks ago?"

Ino wasn't even sure if he was qualified to be interrogating her. Most likely he wasn't since they were both in college, but maybe he would understand a little better.

* * *

Sakura fell back into her fighting stance that Itachi had taught her and gazed at him in waiting. "How was that?"

"Better. You now know the basics of hand to hand combat and how to control your chakra."

The young woman let her hands fall to her sides. "I'm still having trouble understanding why I have to learn how to fight in order to help free you. How exactly am I going to do that anyway?"

Itachi motioned for her to follow him and she did immediately while gazing around at the black and red surroundings she had grown accustomed to. She couldn't exactly say used to, but this was as close as she was going to get.

The two of them walked over to the river that was as red as blood. Itachi sat down on a large black rock and Sakura couldn't help but stare at him for a few moments. It was still a shock to see Itachi in his human form and to know how attractive he was. As Stockholm Syndrome as it seemed, Sakura was starting to crush on this man. That was the stupidest thing she could do. Why would she be interested in a man who was a dragon and was forcing her to stay here with him?

Sakura shook her head to ward off the thoughts. Unfortunately, it wasn't under her control to decide if she did or didn't like someone. She tried to fight it off when she first began noticing that she got butterflies in her stomach any time Itachi was going to change into his human form. The young woman was just in awe at how handsome he was; however, there was something that she was starting to realize after seeing his original form a few times: Itachi looked _familiar_.

The hostage couldn't put her finger on why she kept thinking she had seen this man at some point. It was completely impossible that she had since he had been locked away in the cave since before she was born. There was no way Sakura could have seen him before, but there was something about his eyes...that inky darkness when he didn't have his Sharingan open made her feel like she had seen them before.

Itachi moved to stand by the swirling river while Sakura took his place on the rock. Her ability to sense chakra had grown pretty impressive. She could even feel the chakra moving through her surroundings. Itachi explained to her that everything in the Sharingan world was full of chakra. It made it much easier for her to work on sensing chakra and her chakra control.

Placing her elbows on her knees, Sakura gazed over at Itachi and waited for him to explain why he was teaching her how to fight. A small, innocent smile worked its way over her features as she watched as his dark hair was tussled by the wind around his face.

"What you will be doing to unlock this curse is called jutsu," Itachi began. "It is a combination of the use of hand signs and your chakra. Your control is gotten better, but being able to bring forth your chakra for jutsu requires much more concentration and precise control."

The pink haired kuniochi's eyebrows furrowed. "So this jutsu stuff is like powers or something?"

"Yes," he answered. "I will teach you how to do hand signs and use your chakra at once. Then I will teach you the specific jutsu that you need in order to reverse the one already placed on me."

Sakura pulled her legs up to her chin. "Well I've already been here for two weeks. Is it really going to take that long to learn how to do jutsu and then learn this next one?"

Itachi turned around and moved to sit next to her on the dark boulder. "It is not as simple as you may think. You do have good control with your chakra, but we have to make sure it is perfect. I want you to channel the chakra into the soles of your feet and walk across the river."

Bright green orbs widened with surprise. "You want me to _walk_ on water? What do you think I'm Chriss Angel or something?"

Judging by the blank expression on Itachi's face, it was clear that he didn't have a clue who the magician she spoke of was. Sakura chuckled a little bit before standing to her feet and going to the river's edge. She could do this. There was no choice in the matter because if she wanted to go home, she had to be able to free Itachi from his curse.

Placing one foot out, Sakura concentrated hard and saw the bright green glow appear around it. She stepped onto the water and was surprised by the rigid feel underneath her weight. Sakura did the same thing with her other leg and she smirked at when she was able to stand solidly on the water's surface. Her smile began to vanish when she saw the chakra flickering underneath her and she felt the cool feel of the water covering her bare feet. Within seconds she was underwater.

The shocked girl came up sputtering, completely taken back at how deep the water was. She looked over to see Itachi staring at her. There seemed to be a sparkle in his dark eyes.  
Sakura frowned. "Do you think that was _funny_?"

After brushing her wet locks out of her face, Sakura climbed out of the warm current. She walked over to Itachi who watched her approach intently.

"With how confident you seemed to be, it was interesting to watch your expression when you failed."  
"Well aren't you just a charmer," Sakura muttered sarcastically.

Itachi's eyes moved over the drenched woman in front of him. The possibility of her being decent with jutsu was promising. She had excelled when it came to the beginnings of using her chakra. The whole point being teaching her a few fighting techniques was to help her get used to her chakra and make it easier for her to be able to channel it however she liked. This exercise would make it so she could use her chakra at will.

His gaze locked on her hand as she once again hooked her wet hair behind her ear. At first when he looked at her, Itachi felt annoyance and irritation, but now he didn't feel anything. It was almost as if the dragon had grown accustomed to her. Itachi knew that he wasn't _fond_ of her, but it did bring thoughts to his mind having...company after so many years.

Sakura leaned forward and placed her hands on her knees, their faces dangerously close. "Having fun staring into space?"

Itachi didn't respond, but his eyes did move to lock with Sakura. After a few seconds, a hint of blush began to appear underneath her cheeks. Sakura's right hand moved from her knee and stopped a few inches from the side of his neck.

"Itachi..." she whispered softly. "I think I may be...I'm not sure if..."

What was this girl saying to him? Itachi continued to watch her silently, slightly curious to what she was going to say.

_You're a monster Itachi!_

He blinked when those words began to echo in his ears and when he focused back on Sakura, his eyes widened when he saw her hair had turned as dark as his own. He gazed around at his surroundings and saw that he was in a house. He recognized the dirt floor immediately. Sakura was laying on the ground, blood dripping from a wound in her side.

_You have betrayed our heritage. All of our people have and because of your treason, you will all pay with your lives._

That was his voice, but his mouth wasn't moving. It was clear what was going on: because he had been momentarily focusing on Sakura, he had not been controlling the Sharingan world like he should have. Now he was locked within the mist of his own jutsu.

When Itachi took a closer look, he realized that this was not Sakura at all. It was..._her_.

_Keiko, you were the last one I would have thought would have been a part of this lust for war._

His wife...this was genjutsu of when he had ended his entire clan, specifically at the end of his killing spree when he ended her life.

_Itachi...Itachi..._

That wasn't Keiko's voice, it was Sakura's. Suddenly he flared his chakra as high as it would go and when he blinked, he was back in the Sharingan world with Sakura looking at him with concern. Her hands were on either side of his face and he could hear her breathing softly.

"Itachi are you okay?" she questioned. "You just kind of spaced out. What happened?"

The male immediately stood up and pulled from her grasp. "I am fine. Do not touch me unless I give you permission."

Sakura frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Asshole," she muttered quietly.

"Continue trying to use your chakra to walk across the water," he instructed while moving over to one of the large tomoe covered trees.

Sakura looked over at Itachi. Something had just happened but she didn't have a clue what. He had just spaced out for a second, staring blankly ahead and when he came to, his attitude became even more distant than usual. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. What was going through his head?

* * *

**I thought it would be interesting to make the Sharingan affect Itachi as well. So why do you think Sasuke is the one interrogating Ino when he clearly doesn't have the credentials to do so?**


	5. V

**Sorry for the long wait guys! I've been so busy with college and work. Ugh, algebra is kicking my ass! Guys if you're going to review anonymously, at least use a name because I have many just called Guest.**

**Thank you twinkletoast, missjewels (btw, I really don't care if you stop reading my story lol), Shadows, w, JerrieHigarashi16, KawaiiShyGirl, theheartstourniquet, and cristina. , and the guests who reviewed. **

**Not much romance in this chapter, but the next one will definitely have quite a bit! Just setting it up here. Also the story as I said wasn't meant to be long so there are only a few more chapters.**

* * *

Sakura resurfaced from underneath the crystal clear pond. She flipped her darkened rosette locks over her head and hooked stray strands of hair behind her ears. A bath was just what she needed. Although Sakura had grown used to the extremely humid atmosphere of the cave, all the extra training definitely made her feel gross. She had long since outgrown her despair over not having things like toothpaste, shampoo, and bath soap. Still, she was more than ready to take a scalding hot shower and maybe comb her hair that was now wild and uncontrollable.

Turning emerald eyes up to the ceiling, Sakura gazed at the small hole half way up the long wall. She had first discovered it her third day of being with Itachi. That was the only way she was able to keep track of how much time had gone by other than by asking the large dragon. Sakura swam lazily over to a large, flat rock surface where her clothes had been lying. It was in an area that was out of Itachi's line of vision. Although he was a dragon, when the two of them were not in the Sharingan World, he was still a male and she was uncomfortable undressing in front of him.

Sakura hauled herself up onto the warm surface and reached for a rock a little smaller than the middle of her palm. The rugged service rubbed against her finger tips as she reached up and drew another line on the wall to match the collection that had already accumulated over the last few weeks. She had been in this hell hole for three weeks now. One more and she would be free. On this rock, there had been a lot of tears, a lot of unquenchable anger that she had experienced. No matter what, she hated Itachi for forcing her to stay in this piece of shit cave with nothing to do, but be tortured by her thoughts. That was one reason she had thrown herself so hard into their training. Sakura wanted to be one hundred percent sure that she would be able to perform this Jutsu to remove Itachi's curse.

One question that plagued her often was what would happen once Itachi was freed of his curse. Was he only immortal because of it? If not, how would he adapt into today's society? He most likely would be stuck to her hip so there was no getting rid of him once this was over. Sakura's brows knitted in frustration. Why did she have to come out here on Ino's stupid ass hunch? If she hadn't, this whole situation would have never happened. Sakura had even attempted once to return out of the area she had came through, but it no longer existed. There was nothing but stone grey walls mocking her.

After sitting for a while and letting her skin dry, the young woman put her clothes back on and walked to the opening of the cave. She took one glace at her reflection before walking inside. Her hair had grown a few inches and was wavy without her flat iron being able to keep it in place. Disheveled bangs had grown just barely over her eyes so Sakura had started to sweep them to the left side of her face, a face that had lost a bit of its roundness from working out and cutting all unhealthy habits out of her diet.

"Sakura."

"Yes?" she called, feeling the warmth of the cave starting to engulf her.

There was the sound of chains shifting before an answer was given. "We will return to the Sharingan world and I will teach you the words and signs of the Jutsu. Combining this with your chakra is the final step to freeing me."

Those word brought joy to her heart, but also dread. She was freeing a mass murderer. What if he turned around and killed innocent people again? Her thoughts were cut off by Itachi's eyes beginning to spin. Sakura felt the sucking sensation she had grown accustomed to and soon the crimson and black world of the Sharingan was surrounding them. Itachi moved in front of her in his human form. Sakura's face remained the same, but on the inside, her hatred for this man and her infatuation were at war with each other. Every time she saw this tall, handsome figure gazing down at her, Sakura felt confused.

"Let's practice your hand to hand combat with your chakra to warm up," Itachi said, taking a step back.

Sakura responded by pushing her chakra to her fist and moving at lightning speed towards her opponent. Itachi was impressed with how far this girl had come within such a short amount of time. He blocked a kick aimed at his head and could feel the power behind it. She clearly was a close contact type of fighter. Itachi had watched her pull a full growth tree out of the ground by its roots and smash a large crater into the ground during their training. She knew exactly how to make her chakra work to her advantage.

Itachi and Sakura continued their spar for a few more minutes before Itachi signaled for them to stop. "Now, there are thirteen hand signs with this jutsu along with the chant you will have to perform with it, " Itachi said. "Watch carefully."

He showed her the first three signs and then told her to repeat them. The first two Sakura had no trouble with. The third one, she had difficulty making.

"Like this," the Sharingan user said, moving his hands to place hers in the right place. Her hands...they were so soft. Despite all the training they had done, her hands lacked the dryness that often accompanied combat. He locked eyes with the shorter woman and she gazed back at him with those deep emerald orbs. That strange twinge in his chest that had been showing up lately reared its head and Itachi quickly let go. There were more important things to be thinking about. His freedom was only a week away...and so was the most important battle of the world's life.

"Try again."

* * *

Sakura laid down after her bland meal. Over time, she had discovered a grass at the bottom of the pond that when cooked with the fish gave it a seasoned flavor. Sometimes it was a good change of pace from the smoky flavor from Itachi's flames. One thing Sakura decided after this was over, she would never eat fish again.

The jutsu training took a lot out of her. Once she would get to the third sign, which was when the actual chant started, she felt as if all her chakra was being drained from her. Itachi said it was because it was being pulled towards her hands, but she had to learn how to keep the flow going until the last word and sign. That proved harder than Sakura ever imagined. It felt as if she was playing tug of war with an elephant.

Still, the most memorable moment was when Itachi placed his hands over hers. A warm feeling had started in the pit of her stomach and when they locked eyes, everything else seemed to melt away. Unfortunately, Sakura was too exhausted to think and tired orbs closed silently. Within moments she was asleep.

* * *

_Once again Sakura was running through the inky darkness. That eerie voice that had been haunting her was resonating deep within her mind and causing terror feel like it was choking her. There was no escape, no way out. Sakura looked around frantically and all she saw was darkness._

_Suddenly, there was a tiny spot of light that seemed like it was millions of miles away, but the faster she ran, the bigger the spot of light grew. Hope began to flood Sakura's body as she attempted to use her chakra to make her legs run faster. It felt as something was trying to slow her down, but she pressed on until finally she threw herself into the embrace of the light. Sakura quickly put an arm over her eyes to shield them from her extensively bright surroundings. After a few moments, it darkened and beryl orbs opened to study the new area. A warm drop hit her nose and the young woman looked up to see a darkened grey sky. _

_"Sakura..."_

_There was that voice again, but this time it did not provoke fear. The sense that engulfed her was that it had to be acknowledged. Sakura moved through what seemed to be the Forbidden Forest towards the voice. Was this still a dream or could she possibly have been able to escape?_

_"Sakura..."_

_The voice was now behind her so Sakura whirled around to see a figure standing behind her. He wore the same cloak as Itachi. His skin pale as moonlight and his spiky hair bright orange. His eyes were deep purple with rings circling his pupil. What caught her attention the most was the many piercings that lined his face. Who was he?_

_"Sakura, the war of the Uchiha Clan is not yet over." _

_Sakura moved her soaked locks out of her face. "What do you mean?" _

_"Once you return Itachi to his human form, the war will continue." _

_That's exactly what she was worried about, but she was in far too deep now to turn back. But if she freed Itachi, would dozens of innocent people be killed? That couldn't be it if Itachi supposedly killed his entire clan._

_"What should I do?" Sakura asked. "Who are you?" _

_"I am Pein," he answered. "I placed the jutsu on Itachi in order to keep him away from the remainder of his clan. They will find out where he is soon enough. The Ultimate Sharingan is what they seek." _

_"What is that?" Sakura questioned, thoroughly confused. "Who is after him? What am I supposed to do about that?" _

_Pein moved forward quickly and pressed two fingers into the center of her chest. Searing pain radiated from the area, causing the female to fall to her knees, gasping for air._

_"Defeat them."_

* * *

Sasuke gazed over the large map in front of him of the Forbidden Forest. There were markings all over it and an area circled in red pen was what had his attention. Finally, they had a location. That idiot blonde spilled everything to him without batting an eyelash. It didn't matter that this was an investigation and he was not an any position to speak with her. Still, it worked. The dragon's location had been pinpointed and once he had been freed, the Ultimate Sharingan would be his. There was no doubt in his mind or his father Fugaku's that this Sakura Haruno was the chosen one to release the curse. The fact that she looked almost identical to Itachi's wife was just icing on the cake.

The initial plan would still be fulfilled. It did not matter that hundreds of years had gone by. That had only given Sasuke time to better plan for it. Sasuke had witnessed the one thing he hated over and over during his extended lifetime and now he could finally put a stop to it.

"We'll meet face to face again soon...Itachi."

* * *

**Yep so the dream in previous chapters was Pein attempting to make contact with Sakura. She just did not have the ability to do so at the time. What do you think?**


	6. VI

**Thank you byasaku1245, Shadows, cristina. , Kiari Ferrari, SomebodyLost, nasakelova, and emmawalters090 for reviewing!**

**I'm so sorry for the long wait. I was really busy with school and work. Luckily I have a little break and motivation to write again! Also I just posted a story called Would You Quit Annoying Me. It's like the "how to annoy the characters" stories except mine is a series of short stories, each chapter surrounding one character. Please check it out!**

* * *

Sakura had finally gotten the hang of using her chakra in combination with hand signals. She was only moments away from freeing Itachi. Her heart was pounding with anticipation, her hands felt clammy, and there was a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face. The young woman reached up and began twisting her wavy pink locks around her finger. After that strange man Pein visited her in her dream, she knew something was about to happen...something _serious_. He had told her that the rest of Itachi's clan that had survived was coming for him. What exactly was an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan? She knew it had something to do with Itachi's eye jutsu, but what would these people have to do in order to get it? So many questions were wracking her brain.

She probably should tell Itachi about the dream she had as well. He deserved to know what was going to happen. Sakura frowned at herself. She had finally started to realize that she had developed a major crush on this man. Emerald orbs turned to look at the male that was sitting on a large rock a few feet away. She could tell that he had grown tolerant of her as well. Sometimes they would just come to this world and relax, listening to the strange sounds of the world and enjoying each other's company.

He actually had a playful side she would have never guessed existed. One time, Sakura had gotten into an argument with Itachi while in the cave. She was so upset, she reached down into the lake and splashed him water up at him. It was only a couple of drops, but it still was enough to have Itachi lumbering in her direction, smoke billowing from his nostrils. Sakura immediately jumped into the water and swam away, treading water in the middle of the lake.

"Sakura," Itachi said calmly. "Come here."

"No way!" she exclaimed. "You'll have to catch me."

"Very well."

Before Sakura could process what he said, Itachi bounded from the the edge of the mouth of the cave into the air. Her eyes widened when long wings opened from his back. He could _fly_? Well he was a dragon, but Sakura was still surprised. She attempted to swim away to the farthest wall. She looked over her shoulder and saw the large black dragon flap his wings powerfully before nose diving directly into the water. His entrance caused a large wave of water to crash over Sakura's head. The pink haired woman came up sputtering and rubbed the water from her eyes one at a time.

She looked down and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Itachi rocketing towards her from underneath the surface of the water. "Wait!"

It was too late. Itachi burst through the water inches away from her and his thick tail wrapped tightly around her, pinning her arms to her sides. He pulled her to his face, bright red orbs boring into her.

"I've caught you."

"I see," Sakura stated dryly. "How were you able to get out of the cave?"

"You do not listen very well Sakura," came his smooth voice. "I informed you when you first came to me that my chains are restricted by how far Pein allows me to go. He apparently agreed with the actions I wanted to take."

Sakura cocked her head. "What action is that?"

Itachi moved over to the opening of the cave and placed Sakura down. She gave him a confused look which immediately turned to shock when Sakura saw him raise his tail.

"Don't you da-"

Her words were cut off by a massive wall of water barreling into her. The woman was knocked flat on her back from the strength of the wave. As the water seeped back into the lake, Sakura sat up and coughed.

"No fair."

That moment of play had opened the door for them to feel more at ease around each other. It also showed Sakura that although Itachi had been an unapologetic murderer of his own family, he did have a human side. She still wondered what exactly happened to his clan and why he killed them. Maybe she would ask him before he was freed.

They were currently taking a break from training. Itachi had also taught her how to use her strength with chakra to her advantage. He also taught her how to break free from genjutsu, a jutsu that messed with a person's mind. She had learned that the world she was in with him was genjutsu and that their bodies were still back in the cave.  
The dark haired male would lower the strength of his genjutsu in order to let Sakura practice breaking free. Once, Sakura had attempted to break free while Itachi had his genjutsu at its normal strength and she had almost broken free, but Itachi realized what she was doing and nearly tore her to pieces, hence she never tried that again.

Her mind returning to the previous thoughts about letting him know what she dreamed, Sakura stood and brushed her hands down her sides and walked over to him. The quiet male was looking over the rippling water of the river, one leg propped up with his arm resting on it. Sakura sat down next to him and gazed at the river for a moment before turning to him.

"There is something I want to talk to you about."

Itachi's eyes remained constant in their stare. "What is it Sakura? Something is bothering you."

"Yes," Sakura answered honestly as she crossed her legs Indian style. "Pein came to me in a dream. He told me that the remaining Uchiha clan is coming for you. He told me I had to defeat them."

Itachi finally looked up and turned towards her. "So they finally have found me. This battle has been in waiting for centuries."

"What is an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan," Sakura questioned.

"Did Pein tell you about the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Sakura nodded silently in response.

Itachi stood to his feet and hooked an ebony strand of hair behind his ear. "I suppose I will have to start from the beginning. My clan, the Uchiha clan, has the most powerful ocular jutsu that has ever existed. Back during this time, there were many other clans and villages with other types of jutsus at their disposal. All our villages were at peace. We had allied with the the neighboring people and frequently accompanied each other on missions.

My father was the leader of my clan and came to me one day, asking me how I felt about our position on the chain of power. I responded telling him that each of the villages worked equally hard to keep us safe and prosperous. He then informed me that he believed we should have total power over all villages and a coupe d'état was in progress. They would use their powers in order to become the ultimate source of power over every other village. They planned to steal their goods, control their military, and force their people to work for us.

I did not agree with this and informed my father. He believed I would warm up to the idea. I did not. It plagued me night and day that my father wanted to disturb the peace we had with our neighbors. I discussed this with my wife, Keiko, at the time. I was astonished to learn that _she_ had been the one to bring the idea to my father. The one person I thought I knew inside and out turned out to be more of a stranger than I'd ever imaged.

One day, Pein presented himself to me. He showed me what would happen if my clan was successful with their plan. I could not live with myself if I let my let them do what they wished. If I did not do something, there would have been a lot more blood shed than what I have on my hands. It was then I decided to decimate my clan in order to save the lives of millions. "

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. His clan really was up to no good. Was it really worth _killing_ them though? Sakura voiced this question.

"This brings me to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi continued. "When my father realized that I would not assist them in this enslavement and would do anything I could to stop them, he confided in my younger brother and they both decided that I was a liability to their success. They were planning on stealing my eyes and implanting them into my brother to give him the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. The Mangekyo Sharingan caused blindness with use so by implanting another's Mangekyo Sharingan into a user, blindness will no longer occur."

"So they want your eyes in order to prevent blindness?" Sakura questioned. "They must have some bigger plan for the use of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan right? Do you know what it is?"

Itachi looked over into the distance. "They still plan on taking over. They crave power. I do not know what all has changed since my imprisonment here, but I am still their ultimate goal in order to better control the population."

Sakura stood to her feet and moved in front of Itachi. "So you killed everyone including your wife?" When Itachi nodded, Sakura asked, "Well why didn't you kill your brother and father?"

"I could not bring myself to murder my younger brother. I planned to kill my father, but it was Sasuke's begging that caused me to let him live. I did not want to leave Sasuke without anyone from his clan to take care of him. That was a grave mistake. I am sure it is them who will be here soon."

There was still one more question on the young woman's mind. "Why did Pein lock you in here if he was the one who warned you of what would happen if your clan was successful?"

"He did not want me to kill my clan, but that was the only sure way to prevent them from hurting others."

This was a whole lot for Sakura to take in. So it was Itachi's brother and father that she was going to have to fight? But why her? Itachi was clearly much more powerful than she was, what could she possibly do to help him? She gazed up into his face and her heart started beating faster as she looked at his handsome profile. His eyes locked onto hers and she felt like she couldn't ever look away. Sakura was starting to realize she didn't want to be away from Itachi. At first, she was very angry and bitter about her situation, but it had faded the more time she spent with this man.

"Itachi," Sakura said gently. "I'll do whatever I can to help you. Now let's free you."

The two walked to an area with more space. Sakura took a deep breath, concentrating on her task at hand. She moved into her stance and began the hand signals while pushing chakra into them. She felt the familiar sensation of her chakra being pulled and she yelled at the top of her lungs, " Release!"

Sakura immediately felt like her soul was being pulled from her body, but she held strong and soon, the pull abruptly stopped. Sakura felt herself blacking out.

* * *

Sakura awoke to a cool breeze on her cheeks. Cool breeze? There's no way she was in the cave if it were cool. Slowly opening her eyes, Sakura was greeted by a sky full of shining stars. She sat up quickly and immediately regretted it when a throbbing sensation pounded in the back of her head. Sakura groaned before looking around. Her vision was starting to clear and she searched the area for Itachi. They were outside of the cave. She recognized the brush that had entangled her when she first arrived. Sakura was so relieved to finally be out of that hell hole.

"Itachi?" she called, shakily getting to her feet.

No answer came to her. Sakura's heart sunk. So he used her to free himself and left her. She had wanted more than anything to get out of that cave, but without Itachi around, she felt a bit...empty.

"You asshole!" she shouted to no one in particular.

"Are you talking to me?"

Sakura whirled around to see Itachi standing behind her, free of chains, and in his human form. Before she realized what she was doing, Sakura ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I thought you had left me," she whispered.

Itachi was overwhelmed at this woman's outburst, yet he may no attempt to free himself from her grasp. In fact, he slowly reached his arms up to encircle them around her shoulders. When she laid her head in the hollow of his shoulder, Itachi was felt that twinge once again. He remember this feeling. He felt it with Keiko. Did he care for this woman?

Sakura looked up at him with a smile and stood on her tip toes to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. Itachi immediately pulled her closer without a second thought and they kissed like lovers who had been just been reunited with each other.

"Well this is an interesting turn of events."

The two stopped and turned to see Sasuke leaning against a tree with a smirk on his pale face. His eyes were lit with the Sharingan. Sakura's mouth opened in shock. _Sasuke _was Itachi's little brother?

* * *

**Alright guys, I'm thinking one or two more chapters and that will be the end of this story. Oh snap, we got a kiss aww!**


	7. VII

**Thank you 24k, Shadows55, BlossomSakuraCherry, Seleniel, and byasaku1245 for reviewing!**

**Alright, this is the second to last chapter guys! Also I've written a one-shot NarutoxSakura lemon that was requested called Premarital Activities. Check it out of you like that pairing.**

* * *

"Sasuke?!" Sakura exclaimed, completely dumbfounded at what she was seeing.

Finally it clicked. Why didn't she realize it when Itachi said his clan was named the Uchiha clan? That was Sasuke's last name so...that meant he was Itachi's younger brother that he was unable to kill! Sakura was completely overwhelmed with what was going on. How did Sasuke stay alive for so long? He was in college with her for Kami's sake.

"Well Sakura, I guess you did have some use after all," Sasuke said coldly, not even turning his eyes to look at her when he spoke. "Thank you for giving me the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"What are your plans Sasuke!" Sakura shouted while moving closer to Itachi. "How about you fuck o-"

"Shut up," Sasuke replied simply, no malice in his voice. "You're annoying as shit. This has nothing to do with you, so either leave, or you will die."

The younger Uchiha slowly pulled a long sword from his back, piercing orbs glaring at his older brother. Sakura looked up to see Itachi also had his Sharingan activated. With one swift movement, Itachi had moved away from Sakura and closer to his brother.

"Sakura, leave now," Itachi ordered.

"But I-"

"_Now_."

Sakura hesitated before turning on her heels and jumping through the brushes. The two brothers stared each other down, memories burning through their minds. As Itachi gazed at Sasuke, he could hear the screams of his clan members running from him as he brutally murdered them one by one. Sasuke's heart was burning with hatred, remembering the death of his mother right in front of his very eyes. He clenched his fists together, feeling the hurt and agony of seeing his mother's expression go blank when the last drop of her life seeped away.

Sasuke hated his brother, hated him with every fiber of his being. Now he would pay for all the things he had done. Still, what happened taught him something: that there will always be some form of rebellion. The cycle would never end. There was a plan to finally control human kind, but first, he had to avenge his fallen clan members by destroying Itachi and taking his eyes. Right now, his vision had started to blur and his eyes bled sooner than they used to from constant training.

"I'm going to destroy you," Sasuke said coldly. "You will pay for what you've done!"

"Is that so?" Itachi respond, facial expression remaining the same. "Do you plan on taking my eyes?"

A smile spread across Sasuke's face. "I will take them from you. Then you know what happens after that."

"Enlighten me."

"Don't play stupid with me!" Sasuke shouted angrily. "This world is filled with people who are evil and twisted. They must be exterminated and with the Mangekyou Sharingan, I can continue this work for an eternity. I will also rebuild the clan you destroyed." Sasuke's expression of anger dissipated as he said, "It seems you have grown fond of Sakura, which means she must be worthy of Uchiha blood to you. Maybe I'll start with her first."

Itachi's expression did not change, but inside, he felt something twinge. Was that...jealousy at the thought of his younger brother impregnating Sakura? The older male couldn't deny it, this woman had grown to mean something to him. He was not in love with her, but Itachi fond himself enjoying her company as the time went by during her training. Despite his cold exterior, he had grown lonely during his time as a dragon, caged up in that cave. Then came that mess of pink hair stumbling upon him, completely horrified at discovering him.

Despite the fact that he turned his nose up at her begging for her life, he was a little surprised when she offered to free him. No one else who had the misfortune of finding him offered any such thing. He felt that Sakura showed just how human she was, just how pathetic the human race was. She knew exactly what he had done, but the woman was willing to free him anyway. Itachi knew it was more than that, she understood that she didn't know the whole story about what had happened those many years ago. And even though she had called him a monster at first, Sakura had seen that he as well had a human side. She accepted him without knowing why he destroyed his clan.

Itachi focused his attention back on the task at hand. He knew there was a good chance that he would not beat his little brother. Before, he relished the moment when his brother came to destroy him. Anything was better than living in the cave for hundreds of years. Now, Itachi did not want that anymore. Was it because of Sakura? It seemed she had given him something to live for, despite the fact that he shouldn't be alive. He had lived long past the span of a human due to his dragon form so did that mean he was soon to perish? That was not what he wanted. Sakura had brought too much curiosity out of her and he constantly thought about trying one of those "apple cinnamon muffins" she always raged about missing.

There was a possibility that he could beat Sasuke, with the help of Sakura. He hadn't taught her about it before he sent her away. Then again, his brother had yet to say that he planned on using Sakura as his first mistress.

"Well," Itachi said calmly while hooking his right arm into his black robe and activating his Sharingan. "Shall we begin?"

Sasuke responded by rushing at him with his katana raised. "I will destroy you Itachi Uchiha!"

* * *

Sakura stopped when she heard the sounds of battling begin. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute and her hands were shaking. Sasuke was Itachi's brother, which meant both of them were centuries old. It was a lot of information to take in at once, but she should be used to outrageous surprises by now. Sakura shook her head to rid her mind of those thoughts. The question was, what should she do? She couldn't go get help. No one would believe her story of jutsus, a dragon, and two men who were still living from the Uchiha clan.

"What should I do?" Sakura asked herself in an exasperated voice.

She looked around at her surroundings, not seeing anything but thick brush, tall grass that had a deep blue hue to it from the moonlight, and a large bird that was sitting in one of the trees off to her right. It squawked loudly and flapped its wings, seeming like it was trying to get Sakura's attention. Green eyes narrowed in confusion as she studied its form more intently. The bird had a very jagged, long beak that seemed to be just as long as its body. A third leg hung from the lower portion of its belly, and cinnamon colored feathers were sticking up in all directions. What really was off about the bird was that it had two black rods sticking out of its neck. How was it still alive?

The bird turned its head and Sakura realized something, this bird had the same eyes as Pein. She could never forget such haunting eyes. Maybe this was one of the summonings that Itachi had spoken to her about. He didn't say that the summoning would have the same eyes, but that made it all the more easier to tell that this ugly bird belonged to {Pein. If that was the case, was Pein around somewhere?

"Smart girl. You've figured out that the bird is my summoning."

Sakura whirled around to see Pein standing behind her. same cloak as Itachi billowing around his ankles. "How did you know I was thinking that?"

Pein stepped closer. "That is not the question you want to ask me Sakura."

He was right about that. She needed to get to the point and see if there was anything, anything she could do to help Itachi. Sakura knew he wouldn't want her help, but damn it he was going to get it. As long as it didn't mean her getting in his way or causing Sasuke to get the upper hand. The thought of losing Itachi wrenched at her heart and Sakura would do anything to keep that from happening. She couldn't believe she had fallen for her captor and he for her. It was classic Stockholm syndrome, but the pinkette didn't care. She couldn't take back the feelings she had for the stoic man now.

"What can I do to help Itachi?"

"Why do you want to help him?"

Sakura locked eyes with Pein and stated calmly, "Because he's important to me."

Pein was silent for a few minutes. Yes, she was definitely the one who could end this entire war. It was his job to make sure peace was maintained and Sakura Haruno would help. He had sensed that she was one of the handful left who could still use chakra. Ninjas had fallen away as technology appeared and became more advanced. Most humans now had no true understanding of what one could do with their chakra. Her and Itachi were synced, their powers complenting each other and as long as Sakura was not at the battlefield, there was no doubt that Itachi would lose and Sasuke would gain the Mangekyou Sharingan. Sasuke's heart had become corupt and although his intentions now were those of avenging his clan, they would soon change. It was not his place to directly interfere so the world would drastly change into something unimaginable.

"You must return him to what he once was."

With that, he was gone. Sakura didn't understand. Turn him back to what? She was wracking her brain trying to figure out what exactly he meant when it dawned on her. A smile cracked her face and she immediately began running towards the battle, pushing chakra into her feet to make her move faster. It was clear that all her teaching had not been just for in the world of the Sharingan. It had a purpose out here as well and she would not stop until Itachi was safe.

* * *

The two brothers separated and slid to a stop in the dirt. Sasuke smiled wickedly at Itachi. "Why don't you just destroy me with the Mangekyou Sharingan, or am I too strong for that now?"

Itachi sighed deeply. He was starting to wonder just if Sasuke was strong enough to defeat him. He had such confidence in himself, like he already knew he would was how many ninjas were killed in battle. He opened his mouth to voice his thoughts, but paused when he felt that familiar pulse of chakra.

_She has returned_.

Sasuke's gaze turned to see Sakura burst out of the bushes, determination written on her face. She didn't stop to talk, but ran directly to Itachi, performing hand signs as she went. She slammed her hands against Itachi's chest and immediately began searching, just like she had when returning him to human form, but hoping her hands directly on him would aid her search.

"Just what are you doing?" Sasuke called to her. She ignored him, continuing to explore as quickly as she could. Sakura knew that the younger brother would not let her continue this for long. "Answer me when I'm talking to you!"

Sasuke began running towards the two and Sakura knew she was out of time. Just as she thought it was the end, she found what she was looking for and pulled as hard as she could. Sasuke stopped in his tracks as a binding light surrounded the area. Wind just as powerful as a category five hurricane whipped angrily around them, causing Sasuke to shield his eyes with his left forearm. Debris flew like projectiles in every direction and trees were leaning painfully due to the force of the wind.

Soon, everything was calm and when Sasuke looked again, his eyes widened in surprise. There stood a large black dragon with Sakura standing on its back. Her fists were glowing with chakra. Sasuke could feel that the dragon was definitely Itachi. He had been freed from his dragon form, but he was still able to return to it?

"Itachi," Sakura said, bending down to rub his sleek scales. "Let's take him down."

He responded by opening his large wings and launching himself from the ground. Black flames Sakura had never seen before erupted from Itachi's mouth. Sasuke quickly dodged and began moving towards them at lighting speed. Sakura jumped from Itachi's back slammed her fists powerfully into the ground in front of her. It immediately began to break up underneath Sasuke's feet. He gracefully moved over the rocks and raised his katana to strike. Sakura channeled chakra into her fists and grasped the sword with one hand. Despite her preparation, she could still feel the weapon bite into the palm of her hand. She ignored the sharp sting and brought her other fist up to connect with Sasuke's face.

When she connected, it sounded like a sonic boom. Sasuke went flying into a large mountain of rocks and slammed into them, causing cracks to emerge from where he had hit. Sakura stood up and hooked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Fuck off Sasuke."

He pulled himself from the hole shaped like his body, chuckling as he did so. "She is definitely worthy of the Uchiha name. Sakura, you were always after me in school. Anyone could see that. How would you like to be with me now?"

Sakura's eyebrow lifted. Was he serious right now? That little comment of his made her want to bash his little face in. Her anger mounted and she rushed towards him again, "Never in a million years!"

Suddenly, Sakura was in a pitch black area. She gazed around frantically, but wasn't able to see anything. Trying to move her legs was impossible as well. She felt as if there was a rope wrapped around her body, constricting her from movement. What was this?

"Shouldn't be so eagar Sakura."

An enormous eye opened just above her. It was massive and there was no mistaking the design of the Sharingan. Suddenly, Itachi was standing in front of her with a kunai in one hand.

"Itachi, where am I?" she called. "I heard Sasuke, but where is he?"

"I'm right here," Itachi said, but it was Sasuke's voice that emitted from his mouth.  
A second later, excruciating pain burned from her abdomen as the kunai sank into her. She screamed when it was dragged from the left lower quadrant of her stomach to the right upper quadrant in a diagonal line.

_Oh no, I'm trapped in Sasuke's genjutsu_, Sakura thought frantically to herself. She had to flair her chakra as high as it would go to break its hold. She attempted to do so, but was stopped in her tracks when Itachi pulled the kunai from her stomach and sank it into the center of her chest, breaking through her sternum. She began to shriek again at the unfathomable pain she was feeling. What was she going to do? Sakura couldn't bring herself to flair her chakra at all due to her pain. No, she had to. There was no other choice.

Trying to ignore the pain, Sakura flared her chakra to its peak, closing her eyes as she did so. At first, she didn't think she had been able to break through. That confined sensation still prevented her movement. Sakura opened her eyes to see the forest once again. Confused at why she still couldn't move, Sakura looked down and found that she had tangled herself in vines while lost in Sasuke's genjutsu. The woman freed herself quickly, still able to feel throbbing pain where the fake Itachi had stabbed her. Green orbs moved over her surroundings to see the two brothers locked in a vicious battle.

The separated once more and Sasuke jumped to stand on a tall ledge. He held his hand up to the sky and suddenly thunder sounded. Black clouds began billowing and lightning erupted from his hand. Sakura's eyes widened as she watched lightning flutter around Sasuke, but never strike him as it lit up the entire sky.

"This is something I didn't think I would have to use," he commented. "But this will be the end Itachi. I will have avenged our clan and can move forward with my plans."

There was deep roar that echoed around them. Sakura mouth dropped when she saw a dragon, made completely of lightning, emerge from one of the clouds and position itself next to Sasuke. Its size was unimaginable; the younger Uchiha was a speck compared to it. The blue lightning of its form cracked dangerously.

"Die!" he shouted as he directed the dragon towards Itachi.

The dragon hid itself within the clouds again before emerging and moving with such speed, Sakura's eyes couldn't follow. She shielded herself as an explosion similar to an atomic bomb exploded around them. The trees were uprooted and disintegrated upon impact. Smoke engulfed the area, causing Sakura to start coughing hard. She continued to shield herself as huge pieces of rock and trees pelted her. Once it subsided, the woman looked up and her heard dropped.

Itachi was laying face first on the ground, no longer in his dragon form.

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**Geez it was hard to find a place to stop this! The next chapter my surprise/disappoint you a little if you're looking for a full out battle. It's time to wrap this story up guys! Please review for me and tell me what you think!**


	8. VIII

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! Thank you 24kk, BloodRiddenPast, KawaiiShyGirl, Bloody. 5507, MsShizukaChan, Shadows55, BlossomSakuraCherry, Katarin Kishika, angelbabygirl36, Conan-Ai, and angrypixel.**

**Also I'm about to write a Sakuraxmulti story. I'm tired of not finding good ones or they start off good and end up sucking...or left unfinished. I had started a DeidaraxSakura story a long time ago and was thinking at the time that it would work for a harem story and now I think I am going to turn it into that.**

**Well guys, this is the last and final chapter! Thanks for staying with me on it and no there will not be a sequel or more chapters. This was meant to be a short fic. Sorry this chapter (well the whole thing) was not beta-ed. I plan to comb over it better later.**

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"Why is it that every time we come here, you always buy that?"

"Because it's delicious. Have you ever _had _one of these before? It tastes like heaven."

"You're such a dork, and look you've got him hooked on them too!"

"You're just a nonbeliever who will convert one of these days."

The two women laughed heartily together. Sakura took another bite of her apple cinnamon muffin. It had been way too long since one of these gifts form the gods gave her taste buds such a blessing. Who invented apple cinnamon muffins anyway? Sakura needed to hang pictures of them up on the walls of her apartment. Gazing at her best friend as their laughter subsided, it seemed almost surreal. All the things that had happened to her were amazing, but the worst part was, she could not share it. She wanted to tell Ino how Sasuke turned out to be the brother of the dragon they were looking for or even tell her that she _found _the dragon, but Sakura knew it wouldn't make any sense, especially since no one knew who Sasuke Uchiha was.

During the battle, Sakura thought she had lost Itachi. He was lying motionless on the ground. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating. She cried out his name as Sasuke placed a smile of victory on his face. Running to the male's side, she shook his shoulder violently and turned him onto his back. There was a deep gash going down the front of his chest that was bleeding profusely. Sakura tried using the tattered material from his cloak to hold pressure on the wound, but it was not helping to stop the bleeding. Sakura watched Itachi's complexion start to turn to an ashen grey and when he opened his eyes, they were black. They were never that color before.

Sakura was starting to panic. Nothing was helping to stop the bleeding. Sasuke had begun walking over and the woman protectively crouched over Itachi.

"This isn't over!" she had shouted at the younger Uchiha.

"We are finished here. Move out of the way Sakura or you will die."

Sakura ignored the bastard and placed her hands on Itachi's chest. His heart was fluttering softly under her fingers. Thinking quickly, Sakura flared her chakra into her hands, trying to push them into the wounds. Maybe she would be able to give Itachi some of her chakra and he would be okay. At first, nothing was happening and Sakura was becoming frantic. She pushed harder and suddenly began to feel a pulling sensation coming from Itachi. Gazing into his face, she saw that his color was starting to return.

Sakura's smile faded as she reminisced on that horrible moment. She had thought Itachi was going to die, but he was starting to return right in front of her eyes. That did not please Sasuke. The pinkette absently ran a finger over the scar that now lined her right side. Sasuke had slashed her for what she did and she would never forget that searing pain that erupted from the wound. After that, Sakura immediately jumped further away from her assailant and grit her teeth at Sasuke.

"So you need the help of a pathetic girl in order to beat me?" Sasuke said, completely ignoring Sakura. "You're weaker than I thought."

The younger brother immediately moved to attack his brother, but when he was about ten feet away, a bright light emitted from Itachi and he was once again in his dragon form.

"I will not underestimate you again little brother."

The two were locked in a fierce battle once again.

"Hey! Whoo-hooo Sakura? Where is your brain?!"

Sakura shook her head from the memory and frowned at her friend. "Am I not allowed to think?!"

"You don't know how to do that."

"Shut up!"

Ino laughed and took a sip of her cinnamon mocha iced coffee. Her face turned serious. "So when are you going to tell me how you met that gorgeous hunk of a man!"

It was true; Itachi was still in her life. She thought because he was thousands of years old that he would wither away after being turned back into his human form. There was no telling if that would ever happen, but for now, she was spending time with the man who meant everything to her.

"I met him in the library," Sakura said quickly before finishing off the last of her muffin. "Speaking of him, I'm about to go meet him on the boardwalk. See you later!"

Sakura made a quick exit before her nosy friend could pry her anymore. The sun was just starting to set and the young woman stood outside for a moment, just enjoying the warmth embracing her. An orange hue was cast over the trees and a breeze enveloped her. Sakura stopped herself from placing her arms out and just looking up at the beautiful sunset. Remembering that she needed to meet Itachi, Sakura quickly got into her car and headed to where she knew he was. Her heart was beating like a drum with anticipation of seeing his handsome face. She was still amazed at how powerful he was. It was true she didn't actually see the final blow between him and Sasuke. She had passed out from blood beforehand, but when she finally woken up, Sakura found herself in a cabin. Her eyes widened in disbelieve.

"Naruto?"

The male gave her a huge grin. "How ya feeling Sakura-chan?"

"I hate it when you call me that."

Naruto chuckled before picking up a glass of water and holding it to her lips. She didn't realize how parched her throat was until she smelled the crisp scent of the water. Sakura gulped quickly, causing Naruto to pull back.

"Take it easy," he warned. "I don't need you puking it all back up."

Sakura rolled her eyes before easing to a sitting position. Naruto immediately fussed at her again for moving saying that she would break open her wound. Beryl orbs immediately searched for the familiar figure and her spirit sank when she realized it was just her and Naruto in the room.

Naruto picked up on her change in attitude. "He'll be right back. No need to worry."

That immediately picked Sakura up. Her attitude now turned Naruto. Just what was he doing out here? She voiced her questioned and Naruto moved to go pull up a chair. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I've known all along that the dragon was real," he stared. "I knew you would be the one to free him. Strangely enough, I had found him myself a few months back. He didn't try to kill me, we ended up just talking. After hearing his story, I knew that you would be able to help him escape."

"How would you know that?" Sakura questioned.

Naruto smiled. "Because I could see your chakra network was lying dormant. Majority of people do not have a chakra network anymore. And even though it wasn't awake, it was _trying _to awaken. All you needed was someone to give it a push."

How could he _see _her chakra network? Those answers just brought thousands more questions. Who exactly was Naruto? Had he been around for years like Itachi had? Sakura was about to open her mouth to continue her interrogation, but at that moment, the wooden door swung open and there he stood.

"Itachi," Sakura breathed.

He was covered in injuries, but he seemed to be okay. His Sharingan was deactivated now as well. She did not know he could turn it off. When she studied him, she found that she liked the darker version of his eyes. It made him look more...human. Itachi shrugged off his cloak and placed it on the floor.

"Thank you for your assistance Naruto," Itachi said as he moved to her side.

Sakura immediately reached for his hand and placed it against her face. Itachi simply watched the display, unsure of what to do. It was clear that this woman had wormed her way into his being and there was no getting rid of her now. She dropped his hand and motioned for him to lean down. Their lips crashed together. Sakura wrapped her arms around his shoulder while Itachi moved his hands to either side of his face. He was surprised when Sakura's tongue brushed against his teeth, asking for entrance. It didn't take long for Itachi to allow her access and deepen their kiss.

"Gross! Would you two get a room?! Geez!"

Sakura broke away from her lover and glared at Naruto. "You're just jealous because you're all alone."

Naruto hung his head. "That's not nice Sakura-chan..."

Sakura giggled at that thought before finally parking and getting out of her car. She could see him from where she stood. Sakura gazed at him for a moment. His long hair had grown about an inch since his release back into human form. He now wore clothes from the time he was in, black muscle shirt and jean pants covering his body. Sakura admired his muscular form before starting to close the gap between them. Itachi turned, knowing she was there long before he saw her.

Sakura smiled at him before saying, "I can't believe this has happened."

"I agree," was his short answer before moving her in front of him. His warm embrace wrapped around her and Sakura leaned her head against his shoulder.

Sakura didn't know where things would go from there. She had yet to encounter Pein. Her deepest fear was that he would return and say that Itachi had to go with him. Sakura's heart sank with Itachi spoke those exact same words.

"You're leaving me?"

"Yes," Itachi answered. "I have far exceeded my life expectancy on this Earth."

Sakura tried to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. "How long before you have to go?"

"I do not know."

Sakura failed at holding back her tears. She turned and buried her face into Itachi's chest and sobbed. This man meant everything to her. It must have been something special if she fell so hard for him after what had happened. Why did fate have to turn around and kick her in the crotch after she finally had found happiness? Itachi continued to hold her.

"But there is one thing."

Sakura sniffed before turning her tear streaked face up to look at him. "What's that?"

"I will be able to come back," Itachi answered. "I do not know when, but will you wait for me Sakura?"

Of course. She'd wait until the end of time for his return. He was her rock, the fire that burned within her. There was no way she would ever be able to forget those crimson eyes. She had been through hell and high water with this man and she knew that she was starting to fall in love with him.

"Yes," Sakura breathed. "I'll wait for you Itachi."

They kissed briefly before Itachi grasped Sakura's hand and pulled her towards the water's edge. The two of them kicked off their shoes before moving to ankle deep in the water. It was cool and chilled Sakura's feet a little. A shell caught her attention and Sakura reached down to pick it up. It was broken, but her eyes widened at the shape it had taken. The shell looked like a dragon. Itachi saw her pick it up.

"Do you like it?"

Sakura gave Itachi a strange look. "Did you...make this?"

"It is something you can hold on to until I return. Something that ensures you will not forget about me."

Sakura gave him a smile before saying, "Thank you."

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**The end! Next story I post will be SakuraxKiba! Hope you enjoyed it!**


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